A new report released today by the American Health Care Association/National Center for Assisted Living (AHCA/NCAL) shows skilled nursing facilities (SNFs) experiencing an “alarming spike” in COVID-19 cases due to community spread among the general population. The findings are based on recent data from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS).
New York Providers Offer COVID-19 Lessons on Resident Care
A recent report in JAMDA offers new expert consensus recommendations for managing COVID-19 in skilled nursing facilities (SNFs) with a focus on addressing screening of residents and staff, management of COVID-19 positive and presumed positive cases, communication during an outbreak, management of admissions and readmissions, and giving emotional support for staff.
In “Policy Recommendations Regarding Skilled Nursing Facility Management of COVID-19: Lessons from New York State,” the authors said, “Managing COVID-19 in this setting is uniquely challenging because the SNF serves both as a home and a medical facility.”
Learn more by going to
LTC Facilities Should Strictly Adhere To CDC’s COVID-19 Guidelines As Much As Feasible
Post Pandemic Litigation For Skilled Care And Assisted Living Facilities has already begun. Find out what facilities should do to protect themselves.
High local COVID-19 rates put nursing homes at risk.
High county case rates and larger facility size are tied to COVID-19 outbreaks in skilled nursing facilities, according to a study from a leading operator.
Investigators from Genesis HealthCare, Brown University and Florida Atlantic University reviewed county, state and facility data from late April and early May. The study sample included 341 Genesis skilled nursing facilities in 25 states, along with more than 3,000 non-Genesis operators. Among Genesis facilities, 64 had implemented universal testing of all residents.
Researchers analyzed facility outbreaks, and (in the Genesis facilities only) the number of confirmed cases, fatalities and the effect of universal testing on case counts.
They found that higher facility bed count and COVID-19 prevalence in the surrounding county were the “most significant and consistent” predictors of large outbreaks and mortality rates among residents. In contrast, there was no consistent link between the likelihood of an outbreak and an operation’s Five-Star Quality Rating or infection control citations.
The results confirm the need for diagnostic testing access in high-risk areas, the investigators said. Federal resources should be allocated to locations where testing capacity remains limited, they added.
Providers Plug In: Telehealth Catches On
As the pandemic sweeps the nation, providers accelerate their telehealth plans.
Keeping Residents Active Can Forestall Falls
It is important for physicians, staff, and families to find creative ways for residents to stay on the move.
Read more at http://www.providermagazine.com/archives/2020_Archives/Pages/0620/Keeping-Residents-Active-Can-Forestall-Falls.aspx
Uncomfortable Truths
The coronavirus pandemic has exposed many uncomfortable truths about serving seniors.
The worst isn’t that long-term care providers are prioritized way behind hospitals in funding and all around perception. No, the most brutal truth is that ageism is thoroughly soaked into the collective U.S. mind.
https://bit.ly/3eSdBEH
A Step-by-Step Guide to Preventing PPE-Related Skin Damage
Personal protective equipment (PPE) has been essential to protecting healthcare workers from the novel coronavirus, but it presents its own set of challenges to their health, notably skin damage associated with prolonged use of PPE.
Find out what you can do to avoid skin damage at https://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/929590#vp_1
Federal Help Falters as Nursing Homes Run Short of Protective Equipment
Around the country, nursing homes trying to protect their residents from the coronavirus eagerly await boxes of masks, eyewear and gowns promised by the federal government. But all too often the packages deliver disappointment — if they arrive at all.
Read the full article at https://www.managedhealthcareconnect.com/content/federal-help-falters-nursing-homes-run-short-protective-equipment
AHCA/NCAL Won’t Back Down.
AHCA/NCAL President & CEO Mark Parkinson provides an update on the Association’s efforts to tell the story of their residents and caregivers who have been battling COVID-19.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MKIrTi1Kq4c&feature=youtu.be